Various motor vehicle driving assistance systems are known in the prior art, using one or more cameras or image sensors.
In these known systems, the cameras are generally dedicated to specific applications. In other words, one camera is necessary for each type of application, for example a first camera for taking images in the visible range and a second camera for taking images in the near infrared range.
In addition, the detection of an object in the distance, at the center of the image, and a nearby object at the edge of the field is rarely compatible with the use of a single camera.
This is because an object in the distance and at the center of the image represents only a few pixels compared with an object at the edge of the image and close to the camera lens.
A small field makes it possible to detect an object present in the distance and at the center of the image, but does not make it possible to detect an object close to the vehicle and slightly to the side. Conversely, a larger aperture angle makes it possible to detect an object on the edges, but does not make it possible to detect an object in the distance, since the object is then represented by a small number of pixels.
The available solutions recommend, in the above cases, the use of an expensive image sensor having a large number of pixels, or a zoom, to the detriment of the simultaneity of making the images available for various fields.
The current techniques do not facilitate the design of compact economical devices which are well adapted to the significant constraints of robustness and costs, generally imposed in the automotive field, and capable of supplying to driving assistance systems the information of various types required by the applications installed in these systems.
The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art disclosed above by providing a method and device of the above mentioned type which allow detection both distant and broad of the objects, and this with a single image sensor that can be produced at a moderate cost.